Bioenergy

Biomass can be used directly as a fuel source, such as when you burn it in a wood stove, or converted into liquid or gaseous fuel called biofuel. The benefits of bioenergy are typically low costs and low carbon emissions.  Producing, refining and transporting biomass and biofuels often does generate some extra greenhouse gas emissions besides the carbon dioxide that is released from burning the fuel itself.  However, many plants, such as perennial grasses and trees, put extra carbon into the soil while they are growing (this is called sequestration), and thus bioenergy is often thought of as “carbon neutral” or "carbon negative".